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VenturaFrancoIsrael

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Beautiful Things

“My dad had a shoeshine stand. And he did quite well, you know. He took care of us. And he used to bring a chocolate candy every night for my sister and I, called Uno. And when I was about 7 years old, he bought a piano so my sister and I could take lessons. And when he died in 1928, we just became poor. Very poor.”

Beautiful Spirits

“I was 13 years old when my father died. And we sold the piano. And my mother had a lot of beautiful jewelry, gold jewelry. All that was sold. I was going to school. I had to quit part of the time, so I could go to work, so my brothers can go to school, because you know, a man has to make a living for his family. And I used to beg for work. I worked in a bakery at night. I worked during the day at a delicatessen in the market. I babysat. I was a nanny. And then I worked for a linen shop called Daylan’s on Second Avenue on Saturdays. And I worked also on a Saturday for a shoe repair shop. I was a cashier.

Ventura Franco Israel
Photo courtesy of Joan Roth.

“I would bring some money home. And my brothers went to school. Of course, when my father died, then my older brother ran the shoeshine stand. He would go there after work, and he’d work there on the weekends.”

Beautiful Actions

“During the holidays during World War II my husband and I used to invite the Jewish servicemen over for the holidays. In fact, I got three beautiful letters. I have them still. I was working at the time, and getting everything ready at night for the holidays. You called the Jewish Family Service, and then they would send you servicemen. I had two different fellows which I heard from, you know. I’ve got the letters. They’re just beautiful.”